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Portland Community College: Sylvania Campus
Volume 18 No.1 Fall 2016
The ESOL
Ambassador
Cover art: Olando Lin
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The ESOL Ambassador
The ESOL Ambassador is a quarterly publication of the Sylvania ESOL Department.
Essays are written by students at all levels of the program and submitted for publica-
tion by ESOL instructors.
Subscriptions: The ESOL Ambassador is distributed to various individuals and de-
partments at PCC. If you wish to receive issues regularly, please contact Sarah Bailie
at CT 206 or by email at [email protected].
Editor: Sarah Bailie
Editorial Board: John Sparks
Editorial Assistant: Lamees Al-Shaibani
Artwork:
Olando Lin
Ho Kyung K
Special thanks to all teachers who contributed student work:
Elizabeth Cole, Kari Easton,
Laura Alexander, Luciana Diniz, John Sparks,
Jennifer Snyder, Florence Deutsch-Timmons
Kenya Zappa, Elise McLain, Jill Nicholson, Patti Schilasky
Page 3
An interview with featured artist Olando Lin. Olando is a Level 3 ESOL
student currently studying at PCC Sylvania.
How long have you been an artist?
I began to work as an artist after graduating from university in 1984, where I majored in art design. When I
was a 10 year old boy, I loved art very much. My teacher gave me high marks for artistic talent and made me
feel more confident.
Where are you from? Why are you studying English?
I am from China. I want to communicate with American artists in English and also I hope more Americans
love my artwork. So, English is very important for me, and I want to im-
prove my English level.
Why did you come to America?
I love my country and China's history and culture, which gives me a lot of
artistic inspiration and resources. In 2009, I was a visiting scholar at Uni-
versity of Oregon. That was my first time in the United States, and I was
impressed by American artists’ free creation and respect to art. I wished I
could live here and get a lot creative space and freedom. In 2014, I immi-
grated to the United States as a talent artist, and I am very grateful to the
honor.
What inspires you?
I love nature and life. My eyes are different from others, and I observe
special artistic beauty. I have a strong feeling to express my ideas. My ar-
tistic performance can be different ideas through different forms. I am very
happy and I love to share my art.
What are your plans?
I want to make friends with American artists, and also I am very interested
in American contemporary art. I want to learn more art information that I
haven’t learned about yet. I plan to have personal exhibitions and I hope
that many galleries can show my artwork. In addition, my dream is that a
famous American museum will collect my artwork in the future.
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Level 1 ESOL Students Write About
Their Perfect Days
On a perfect day in the morning I wake up late. The weather is very nice and sunny. I eat a big
breakfast then we go to the park with my wife and daughter named Lillian. She is so cute! She is so happy
when she plays!
After we come back home we watch TV in the afternoon. My family and I sit on the balcony and
eat pizza and drink hot tea.
In the evening I go to PCC because I’m a student and I’m learning English. My teacher’s name is
Laura. I see some of my friends. I have a good time there. It’s a perfect day!
Written by: Ihssan Omar
ESOL Level 1
On a perfect day, I have my day off from my work. I sleep much my day off. I eat breakfast and
watch TV.
In the afternoon, we go to a supermarket to buy food for the week.
In the evening, I go to school to my English class. It’s a perfect day!
Written by: Emely Hernandez
ESOL Level 1
I wake up in the morning. I eat breakfast. Then I go to the market. And I go to wash my clothes. I
go with my friends to eat.
In the night I go shopping or stay at home to clean my house or finish off food. I watch TV. Then
I sleep to wake up for work.
Written by: Zaman Farttoosi
ESOL Level 1
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My name is Jimma. I came from Eritrea. I am 22 years old. I have one son. He lives in Ethiopia with
my sister. He is four years old.
My perfect day is Friday. I don’t get up early in the morning. I wake up at 10:00AM. I take a shower.
I eat breakfast of healthy food with my family – my mom and father and three brothers and two sisters. After
my family and I finish breakfast at 12:00PM, I go to Masjid to pray and read in the Quran book for two hours.
After I finish eating a good lunch, I sleep.
Saturday morning at 6:30 I go to work. Saturday to Thursday I am busy.
Written by: Jimma Hommed
ESOL Level 1
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Level 1 ESOL Students Write About Their Families
My name is Mohamud. I have a big family. I have 9 children, 2 daughters and 7 boys. My first son
is 23 years old. My last son is 5 years old. My wife is name Faiza. She is 35 years old. She is short. Her
hair is black. Her eyes are black. She is from Somalia. I love my family.
Written by: Mohamud Noor
ESOL Level 1
My name is Lily. I am short. I am average weight. I am middle- aged. I have long hair. My hair is
wavy. My eyes are brown.
Written by: Lily Zhang
ESOL Level 1
My husband’s name is Mohammed. He has short black hair. Malak is my teenage daughter. She
has curly black hair. She has brown eyes. Eillaf is my 7 year old daughter. She is tall. She has brown hair.
She has brown eyes. Janne is my toddler. She is tall. She has black hair. I have a happy family.
Written by: Saniya Ali
ESOL Level 1
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Level 2 ESOL Students Write About Their Responsibilities
I have a very busy life. I work during the morning and before I leave for work I like to do a little
cleaning in my house. After work I come home and do my homework. I rarely cook for my family but I help
my little sisters with their school homework. They help me with mine. I study English at Portland Community
College three times a week. On the weekends I go to church.
Written by: Yendy Herrera
ESOL Level 2
I get up at 6:30 in the morning. I take a shower in the morning. I eat breakfast in the morning. I clean
my house every day. I go to work at 10:00 in the morning. I get home from work at 1:00 in the afternoon. I
cook lunch for my family. I eat lunch. I read a book in English. I go to PCC in the evening. I go home at 9:30.
I go to bed at 10:00 in the evening.
Written by: Shahlaa Alobaidi
ESOL Level 2
A Level 2 ESOL Student Writes About a Famous Person
This is Angelina Jolie. She is very beautiful and famous. She is from Los Ange-
les, California. She was born on June 4th, 1975. She is an actress that has a lot of
fans. She has six children and three are adopted. She loves all her children. She
works very hard.
Written by: Benita Reyes
ESOL Level 2
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Level 3 ESOL Students Write About Countries
Around the World
China
The average person in China says "good morning" when they meet their neighbor in the morn-
ing. The average person in China typically says "had lunch" when they meet their neighbors or colleagues
at noon. Most people frequently shake hands when they meet their new friends.
Most people in China eat DainXin at the restaurant and drink tea at noon. After lunch, they go
shopping at the mall. They buy some clothes and skin care products.
The average person in China plays badminton and goes to the gym after work. Most retired peo-
ple walk in the park. Most women do yoga in my country.
Written by: Qili (Maggie) Yan
ESOL Level 3
Spain
Food in my country is very diverse. It depends on the region of Spain. But we have a common
special dish, paella. It is very famous in all country, and everybody knows this dish. And usually most
people like it.
In my city, Madrid, we have a very good transportation system. You can easily take the bus, the
subway, or a taxi. Everything is on time, and it's very safe, too.
Everyone in my country likes football (soccer). When they put it on TV, half of the country is
paralyzed. We have two teams that are very famous all around the world: Real Madrid and Football Club
Barcelona.
Written by: Pedro Cacereno
ESOL Level 3
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Belarus
The Republic of Belarus is in the center of Europe. It is a small country. Most Belorussians are
Catholics. It is the most common religion. Families usually have two or three children.
People spend the weekends at the cottage. They grow vegetables, berries and fruit. Belorussians
love to play football and basketball. Belorussians love their country.
Written by: Yuliya Anehina
ESOL Level 3
Dominican Republic
Many families in the Dominic Republic live together, including nieces, uncles, and cousins. The
women have many children from one man. The people from the Dominican Republic are very nice and
friendly. We love our families.
There are different types of public transportation in the Dominican Republic: Motorcycles, taxis. If
you want to go to one place by motorcycle, you have to pay $25 in Dominican pesos. There are buses, too.
The bus takes you wherever you want, and it costs $15 in Dominican pesos.
Written by: Sujeiri Victoriano
ESOL Level 3
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Level 3 ESOL Students Write About Their Classmates’ Favor-
ite Holidays
Jacqueline's favorite holiday is Sao Joao. It is a holiday from Brazil. Every June, people wear spe-
cial clothes in this holiday. And they eat corn and special food. This holiday lasts 13 days. People dance
in the streets and throw something similar to Chinese lanterns into the air.
Last year, Jacqueline celebrated Sao Joao with her family. She was very happy. Her mother made
corn and other special food, but she didn't make cake because after dinner, they decided to go to the
streets and dance.
Imagine that Jacqueline is celebrating Sao Joao right now. She is going to the streets with her fam-
ily and friends. And they are dancing and singing and laughing. In her mind, she is thinking that this is the
happiest holiday in her life.
Written by: Pedro Cacereno
ESOL Level 3
Xin's favorite holiday is Chinese New Year. It is always on January 1st. or February 1st. It always
depends on the Chinese calendar. Xin and her family wear new clothes. This holiday isn't a religious holi-
day. They eat dumplings and drink white spirit. For decoration, they use red lights only. All the people
watch a special tv show. It starts at 8pm and goes until 1am.
Last holiday Xin celebrated was two years ago in China with her family. She was very happy be-
cause she saw her family. They ate dumplings and soup. All the people watched the special TV show for
5 years.
Imagine that Xin is celebrating New Year's right now. She is wearing new clothes, and her family,
too. The whole family is eating, but some children are sing-
ing and feeling excited to watch the special TV show.
Written by: Leonel Gorgonio
ESOL Level 3
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Level 4 ESOL Students Write About the Favorite Rooms in
Their Houses
My Favorite Room
My favorite room in my apartment is the kitchen. I like keeping it clean. Chinese people spend more
time on cooking than American people. That’s why, when I cook, I always turn on my small television and
listen to the English talk shows. The TV is on the right side of the counter. There is a big Chinese character
meaning “lucky” – on the right next to the small television. There is a round dining table with four chairs in
front of the .
I really enjoy putting on beautiful table linen to make the table look nice. We often drink chrysanthemum tea
and sit around this table to have much fun. There is a short shelf on the right next to the . There is a small
photograph of my family on the shelf. We took that in June 2014. I hugged our son, who was aged seven
months. My husband held our daughter, who was nine years old. That year was also the 10th year of our mar-
riage. There is a small flowerpot made of lucky bamboo next to the photograph on the shelf. My friendly
neighbor gave that to us after we moved here a week. I love my family. I love spending a lot of time on cook-
ing and cleaning in my kitchen. I love my sweet kitchen very much!
Written by: Pandora Liu
ESOL Level 4 Writing
My Kids’ Room
When I think about my favorite room in my apartment, I always think about my kids’ room. In my
kids’ room, there are two beds with posters of their favorite cartoon characters, Sonic and Mickey Mouse.
There are two wall lights. One of them is a star shape and the other is a moon shape. When it is dark, the kids
love the light reflection on the wall. In the corner, there is a blue box for their toys. Before they sleep, they
clean their room. On the wall, there is a big mirror where they like to act like their favorite characters. My
older son acts like a pirate, while my little one likes to act like his father while he is shaving. There is a small
table with two chairs where they draw and color. Finally, they love their room like I do.
Written by: Sana Alghamdi
ESOL Level 4 Writing
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My Comfortable Living Room
My living room is my favorite place in my house. It’s decorated with my favorite colors. The
walls are white. The right wall has an antique wall clock, and the front wall has three medium-sized pic-
tures. These pictures have photos of my family. Under the pictures is the television. The television is on a
small beige table. In front of the beige table, there is a small beige table, too. In the middle of the table,
there is a plant. The table has four ceramic birds, two yellow and two green. There is a beige sofa with
two floral pillows and one jade green pillow. There are two chairs, too. Both chairs are jade green, and
both chairs have floral pillows. My family and I have great moments in our living room. Sometimes, we
have long conversations. Almost always, we play table games, too. Finally, we love to watch a movie in
the living room.
Written by: Carla Diaz
ESOL Level 4 Writing
My Favorite Room
My favorite room in my apartment is the living room because I spend most of my time there. For
example, when I finish my classes, I always stay there. Also, there is a big sofa, and it is comfortable. I
usually sit to watch my favorite television programs. The sofa is in the middle of the living room. There
are PlayStation 4 and Wii U games. They belong to my son and me. My son often plays on the weekend.
There is a small white table. Above the table, we put some candy and chocolates. We have open space in
our apartment. There is our kitchen, and there is a small dining table.
We often eat our meals at the table. I also have a large window.
There is a beautiful view. I can see Mt. St. Helens, and I can see the
PSU campus. In addition, there is a small table in the middle. Actu-
ally, I use it for my laptop. There is one small table in the corner. I
put a lamp above it. Also, there is a round green rug. In conclusion,
the living room is the best part of the apartment.
Written by: Mohammad Allaho
ESOL Level 4 Writing
Page 13
Important Days for ESOL Level 4 Writing Students
An Important Day
Last September 15th was an important day. I immigrated to the United States from Hong Kong. I re-
member a lot of exciting things from that day. First, I took two bottles of SK-II lotion in my carry-on bag, but
a man at Hong Kong customs told me: “You can’t do that.” He helped to put it into four bottles, 100 ml. per
bottle. He was so nice. Second, I slept on the airplane. Unfortunately, the man sitting next to me was pretty
annoying. His wife liked to eat very much and loudly, but the food wasn’t really nice. It was smelly. Finally,
when I stood before the table at the United States customs, I was a little nervous because my English is really
poor, and I could not hear very clearly what he said. I knew some interpreters could help, but there were a lot
of people also there. I decided to try my best. Thank God, they understood, and they said to me with a smile,
“Mei, welcome to America.” I was very glad to hear that. I saw my daughters and let them know that every-
thing went very smoothly. From this important day, I began my life in the United States.
Written by: Mei Mei Cheng
ESOL Level 4 Writing
My First Day in the United States
I have many good memories about my first day in the United States. I would like to tell you three of
them. First of all, I came with my husband and our four little kids. We were sad because we had left our beau-
tiful country, Guatemala, but we were excited because finally we arrived in an enormous safe airport in the
United States. Then my husband and I were nervous when an ugly old officer told us, “You need to pass
through the immigration office.” In this big office, we showed many documents. A nice officer asked us
many questions. After he checked all the documents, her told us, “Welcome to the United States.” Finally, we
went to pick up our heavy baggage. This day changed our lives, especially for our children’s future.
Written by: Coralia Rosal
ESOL Level 4 Writing
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My Daughter’s Graduation
Graduation day was an important day for my daughter and me. It had a
different taste. We saw people laughing or crying on this day. Acutally, that is
what was happening in the summer of 2016. The night before that day, she had-
n’t slept well. She was worried a lot about the results. In the morning, I took my
daughter to the beauty salon and did her hair and makeup. We put on her gradua-
tion hat. In the afternoon, we went to the photographer and took many beautiful pictures of her for the
family. In the evening, we went to a celebration place. On stage, I saw my daughter with many students
coming up to the stage to receive a high school diploma. The finale of the whole program was the singing
of the school song. My daughter was very excited at that time, and she has many memories of the last day
in her school.
Written by: Suhair Al Kallak
ESOL Level 4 Writing
Level 5 ESOL Students Write About Their Most Important
Things
The Woman in the Picture
When I was packing to move to Portland, I found a box of old pictures, one of which has a special
meaning for me: a woman in a black and white photo. The picture is letter-sized, and you can see only the
gorgeous face of a woman. Her heart-shaped face is slightly inclined towards her left shoulder, which al-
lows you to see a side of her graceful neck. Her eyes are elongated, but you can appreciate that they are
intense black and make a perfect match with the color of her hair and eyebrows: jet black! Her skin looks
as smooth and clear as porcelain. Her lips look carefully drawn by a famous painter. Definitely, the wom-
an in the antique photo is very beautiful and seems like a 1950s film star, and best of all, the woman in
black and white is my mom!
Written by: Rasec Benton
ESOL Level 5 Writing
Page 15
Summer Days on the Farm
I will never forget the days I spent with my family on the farm. When I was a child, every year in the
summer, after the end of the school year, I moved with my family to my father’s farm. My favorite time there
was when I used to wake up in the morning to the sound of the birds and the smell of the soil moisture enter-
ing through my window. Every day my mother prepared the most delicious breakfast, and we ate it under a
big tree in our back yard. When we finished eating, we used to go with my parents to collect grapes. After
picking the grapes, my mother would start making grape jam, and I would go with my siblings to play outside
with the chickens and ride our neighbor’s donkey. Every day was a new adventure with my siblings. My sum-
mer days on the farm hold the most beautiful memories of my life.
Written by: Maha Qumuq
ESOL Level 5 Writing
My Favorite Birthday Party
I always remember my favorite birthday party when I turned eight years old. If I close my eyes, I can
smell the aroma in my home. My mom baked my favorite pastries the day before: lemon pie, chocolate cake,
and giant meringue cookies. I couldn’t believe I had a big bowl of my favorite cookies! I loved vanilla flavor
in these cookies! My cousin and relatives came to my party. My father prepared different games. We enjoyed
them a lot. I can still hear the laughter of my cousins playing in the back yard. For all these reasons, I have
never forgotten my eighth birthday party.
Written by: Carmen Perezcabello
ESOL Level 5 Writing
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My Favorite Childhood Dessert
One of my favorite childhood memories is when my mom made baklava. The smell would go
through the whole house. I could hear walnuts pop when she was toasting them. While the walnuts were
toasting, she made a syrup to pour all over the baklava. The hardest part was waiting for the baklava to
cool down. The taste is hard to understand if you’ve never tried it. I will never forget it, which is why it’s
one of my favorite memories.
Written by: Mohammed Tawfeeq
ESOL Level 5 Writing
The Worst Day of My Childhood
When I was about ten years old, my father bought me a dog, my favorite pet, for my birthday, but
the wonderful time with her ended too soon. The dog was very beautiful. It had a polka-dot-like pattern.
The pattern made the dog noticeable, and anyone could see it from afar. There are many reasons why I
loved that dog. First, I did not have any friends at that time. Though she was my pet, she acted as my best
friend. Whenever I was frustrated, I would talk to her. Although she did not talk, I felt like she under-
stood me. She used to sleep besides me on the bed. One day, the dog fell very ill. I took her to the vet, and
she got treatment. Though she did not get better when we got home, I did not despair. However, at home
she was not active. One day, I walked up to her, and she was lying on the floor, looking helpless. I imme-
diately realized that she was dying. I put my hand on top of her head and felt life slipping out of her. That
was the worst day of my life.
Written by: Ghanem Alhajeri
ESOL Level 5 Writing
Page 17
Level 5 ESOL Students Write About Famous People
They Admire
Kobe Bryant is one of the great basketball superstars and one of the greatest scorers. He is called
“Black Mamba.” I really admire him. First of all, he had a lot of achievements when he was in the NBA.
For example, he won the NBA championship five times and passed Michael Jor-
dan on the NBA career scoring list. He could beat any player at any position in
competition. His spirit was like the Black Mamba. In addition, he worked hard
for the Lakers even though he was a superstar. For instance, he said he knew
what Los Angeles looks like at 4:00 a.m. He was always the first one to the gym
and exercised every day. Also, he never gave up even when he got hurt very
badly three times. Finally, he had a great influence on young people. He made
many kids in China like basketball. So we all admire him very much.
Written by: Joe (Wenbo) Yang
ESOL Level 5
I would like to meet the Japanese baseball player Ichiro Suzuki because I am proud of him. The first
reason why I am proud of him is that he is an awesome baseball player. He used to play in Japan, but now he
plays in the U.S. for the Miami Marlins. He holds a large number of titles in both countries. There are a
large number of Japanese baseball players who have gone to play in the U.S., but they don’t have as many
titles as he does. Secondly, his efforts are incredible, and his training is very strict every day. He has training
machines to train his body anytime at home. He is 42-years-old, but he can still run very fast. When Japa-
nese baseball players move to the U.S., most of them gain weight. However, he has kept his body in shape
for a long time because of his training. Finally, he can add numbers very quickly. He practices it with car
license plates. He says this practice helps to hit speedy balls. For these reasons, I am proud of him, and I
would like to ask him his story someday.
Written by: Megumi Susa
ESOL Level 5
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Level 6 ESOL Students Write About People
They Admire
Humberto the Free Spirit
During our school epoch we knew many types of teachers, but always there is one who we’ll re-
member forever, for me this special teacher was Humberto. Humberto was my tutor for my last year in
high school. He is thirty-years old; he is kind and amazing in every sense. He is thin and tall. He has a
young face with big green eyes hidden behind black glasses, and he has short hair with a little ponytail.
As an English teacher, he was splendid and was always thinking about his students by providing dynamic
classes for improving our knowledge. For example, he invited a real Maori (a tribe who lives in New Zea-
land) when we were studying New Zealand’s culture. He is a wise man because he gives us helpful ad-
vice. As a person, he is intrepid, ambitious, sociable, open-minded and free-spirited. He is always travel-
ing and getting to know new cultures, now he is in Africa as a volunteer. For me, he is an independent
man who improves his life through diverse experiences that he obtains from his countless trips. Humberto
has been a role model since I was in high school. I have always wanted to be like him: an ambitious, bold
and free person as my teacher. The reason why I admire Humberto is because he motivated and encour-
aged me to achieve my goal: to become a journalist and travel around the world looking for new experi-
ences. To be like Humberto means to be a free soul.
Written by: Debbie Pérez Garrido
ESOL Level 6 Writing
My Perfect Mother
When I was young, my mom was everything I thought that nobody could replace. Like most of
the young people like me, everything about my mother is special. She is very beautiful and has the most
beautiful eyes that I have ever seen, so sometimes I pondered the reason why I didn’t have big eyes like
her. She was a hard working person because she did everything in my house, such as the dishes, clothes,
the floor… She not only worked hard to make sure that I had a good place to study but also showed me
how to solve any problems about my homework. She was very strict because she told me if I got a bad
Page 19
grade in class, she wouldn’t let me play games anymore, even on the weekend. She is the kind of person that
is interesting to listen to. I could say that when I listen to her, I can learn something from her because she al-
ways wants to teach me new things in life. Although I always want to do everything by myself if I can, every
time that I want the advice, I always ask my mother because she gives me her opinion from the bottom of her
heart. On the other hand, when she needs to talk to me, she will choose the right time to talk to me. When she
gives me some advice, it is very important for me because I can feel the support from her that I need. I have
never seen her sad before even when she’s been very worried about some bad things. Moreover, she always
smiles to keep us from being anxious. My mom is also a good chef. She could cook a lot of delicious food for
us like a professional chef in a restaurant. One of the reasons that I am especially proud of her is the way she
used to take good care of my family. She would become a doctor who helps us get better when we were ill.
She is a very knowledgeable person who studied medicine for 2 years in college. She also loves animals so
much that she normally adopts homeless pets in my country. In my opinion, although nobody in the world can
be perfect, I always remind myself that my mom is the best in the world.
Written by: Khanh Dinh
ESOL Level 6 Writing
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Man of His Word
As a child, after I finished my homework I eagerly waited for my father to come back from work
and take me to ride my bike and, of course, he always did because he's a man of his word. He was an ac-
countant and worked crazy long hours to support us. However, he always kept his promise and managed
to spend time with me. My father is now 73 years old. He still goes above and beyond his limits to be
helpful to is children and family. He is my role model as he is the hardest working person I have ever
known. His character is mirrored hi his look and his manner. He is very handsome, with his gray hair
and mustache. He has the kindest of hearts and that is reflected in his calm brown eyes. His voice is al-
ways soft, even when he is angry. I have never heard him raise his voice to discipline me, even during
my worst behavior. He is very charismatic and has his own style in connecting with people. He is very
outgoing and likes to be surrounded with people. He has a passion for learning and that is why he is back
to school now that he has retired. He cannot stay still and has to be active all the time; therefore, he goes
for long walks every day. His philosophy of life is to be active and to be a better version of yourself eve-
ry day. He always used to say, "My son, whatever you do, just try to be a decent human being--that's all
that matters." I am proud to be his son and will be truly honored if someday some-
one looks at me and says you are like your father.
Written by: Leo Shaverdian
ESOL Level 6 Writing
“Big Bro”
Lotfy, my older brother doesn’t look lovely at all, but he really is. Having an eleven years’ older
brother was like a punishment for me as a kid. As a little kid, I used to see him as scary as hulk because
he was tall, chubby and stout, with long black hair and a beard. He looks so serious, and his voice is
shrill. With time, and as I am getting older, I realized that he is the kindest one of us. He was always pre-
tending to be a father more than brother. Whenever my dad was traveling or busy, we had Lotfy instead.
He was a real man since he was a kid. Always feeling responsible for us, even when he didn’t have to.
My dad was always motivating him to keep this feeling toward us, or even build it stronger. So, we also
had to give him more respect than any kind of brother. If you did not, you would be afraid just to disagree
with him, and that was the dictator’s hell in this complicated relationship. Now he is a marine officer,
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working all the time at sea, and we see him 3 months a year. When he first graduated and started working, I
was so happy for being free of his occupation. But I quickly realized that I missed my great brother who
loves, and cares about his family.
Written by: Mohamed Abdelmoteleb
ESOL Level 6 Writing
Level 7 ESOL Writing Students
Best Hotel
What do you prefer, to stay in a fancy hotel or in an inexpensive one when you go on trips? Most peo-
ple will say that they like to stay at a nice hotel when traveling, but not everyone is able to afford one. I also
like to stay at nice places. This summer I took two different trips with my husband. The first was a short
weekend trip to Seattle, and we were gone for four days. The second was a 10 day road trip that we took
through Oregon and California. The two hotels experiences were very different. On the first trip, in Seattle,
we stayed at the Washington Athletic Club Hotel. The second one was a Best Western by Highway 90 near
Napa Valley in the middle of our summer road trip. The differences between these hotels were location,
amenities, food and more importantly how I ended up staying at each.
First of all, the Washington Athletic Club Hotel is located in downtown Seattle. It is in the heart of
the city, blocks from Pike Place Market, the Space Needle and Glass Garden, near the football and baseball
stadium and also near the ferries to the different places from Seattle. This was also my first real trip with my
husband. We could walk all around the city from our hotel, and there were a number of places that were read-
ily accessible. I think my favorite place near the hotel was the Space Needle and the Glass Garden. These two
places were really fun to visit. We spent two hours in the Glass Garden, but I think I could have easily spent
two more hours there. The Space Needle was great because you could see all around Seattle, and it is such an
iconic historical structure. On the other hand, the Best Western was on Hwy. 90 in a small town near Napa
Valley. There was nothing interesting to see in that town. The hotel was surrounded by a strip mall and a gas
station, so not a very interesting location. There was no shopping or restaurant nearby. In fact, we went to
sleep without dinner because by the time we got this hotel, all the fast food places nearby had closed already.
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The second difference was in the amenities and food of each. The Washing-
ton Athletic Club Hotel was very clean with nice furniture and a great view
of the city. The decor of the hotel was amazing. The rooms had all kinds of
stuff, from fancy coffees, chocolates, different kinds of soaps and shampoos,
free Wi-Fi with a really large television. On the other hand, the Best Western
was very simple. It had no view, and the amenities in the room were limited.
The fridge was not working properly, and I couldn't find an iron in the room.
I like to iron my clothes in the morning, and when I couldn't the following
day, I was a little annoyed by it. The Washington Athletic Club Hotel had a
really nice restaurant where we ate breakfast and lunch a couple times. They
had a broad menu with many different things to choose from. My favorite
was a salmon omelet my first morning there, and it was delicious. The Best
Western Hotel had a continental breakfast with lots of things, but none that
were tasty. My husband only ate some cereal while I only ate a banana for
breakfast.
The third, difference is how we ended up staying at the two places. For the
Washington Athletic Club Hotel, we made reservations ahead of time and had planned to go to Seattle. In
Seattle, we dropped our car with the valet, and we were set to go. Getting to the Best Western on the other
hand was an adventure, we didn't actually mean to stay there, but ended up there by mistake. We were
driving down Highway 1 on the California coast, but it was really foggy. My husband accidently got off
from that Highway and before we knew it, we were driving away from the coast. Both our phones died,
so we couldn't even look where we were. We went through a national park, whose name I can't remember,
and there were no cars passing us by. I was really panicked, but I kept quiet. My husband had been driv-
ing for 10 hours, and I was worried about him as he was really tired. So when we got to the main high-
way, we saw the sign for the Best Western, and we were both really excited.
In conclusion, Washington Athletic Club Hotel was much nicer in many ways, but we were really
glad to have stayed in both places. The Best Western gave us a place to rest when we were really tired.
Sometimes it's good to reserve a hotel before a trip, so a person doesn't face problems when getting to a
hotel. Even though being lost wasn't a pleasant experience, I appreciate that we could spend a night there.
Witten by: Kareema Mohmand
ESOL Level 7 Writing
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Tears on My Birthday
When I was in the first year of middle school at the end of winter, I met Makoto, who was my first
love. The air had become warm. Spring sunlight shone on the school route I walked every day. Cherry blos-
soms’ buds had started to unfold themselves, so my school which surrounded with them became tender pink-
colored. In the first class of winter term, my teacher said, “Let’s change you guys’ seats, so you can make an-
other friend in the class.” He prepared a lottery drawing, and we did it. Following it I looked for a seat and sat
in a chair next to Makoto, but I had never talked with him before.
He said, “Nice to meet you, Aika.”
I replied, “Nice to meet you, too. Umm. I’m sorry. What’s your name?”
He said, “I’m Makoto, please don’t forget!” and he talked positively with a welcoming smile. A blush
came over my face because I was not used to talking with boys. It was love at first sight with him. He often
cracked my classmates up with unique jokes, so he was popular with not only me, but also everyone. He was
kind and smart, but he was not good at math. It was lucky for me because I was good at it. He taught me Eng-
lish and I taught him math. We became good friends and enjoyed studying every day.
After a brief happiness, the season when we were separated was coming. We were preparing for our
high school entrance exams that winter. The mood of the class became tense and strained. We had to decide
our future paths. I thought that I would go to a public high school which was close to my home because its
academic level was the same as my level.
One day, my friend told me, "I heard Makoto is trying to go to Sakura High School"
I was surprised and said, "Really? Sakura High School is a very high level school."
She knew that I liked him and was well informed. Sometimes she helped me. I was confused to hear
this new information because this school was higher by far than my level. I wanted to go to the same school
as him. After that I was troubled; I decided to take the entrance exam to Sakura High School. Of course, I
kept the decision a secret from him because I thought that my feeling would be exposed if he knew it.
Two years later, I took the entrance exam. On February 26, I went to the school to look at a list of suc-
cessful candidates. I remember the day because it was the same day as my birthday. I had finally put away my
games to concentrate on studying for the exam. I had studied hard so that I could improve my grades in a
short time. My English grade which I was worried about the most had improved amazingly. I had confidence
in my exam, but I felt uneasy on the way there. As soon as I entered the school, I heard sounds of many voic-
es which were a mixture of pleasure and sadness. Some people were highly pleased; some people cried loud-
ly. The mood and atmosphere there was strange.
I looked for my number,"1070, 1075, 1077, 1080....I found it! I passed the exam!"
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There were no friends of mine there. I flew into raptures and hugged strangers. My outlook broadened
suddenly, and I felt that the world was very bright. I walked around the school full of cherry blossoms. I
got a passing certificate from a school staff member, and he said to me, “congratulations!” I replied,
“Thank you,” I clasped it. I saw the back of someone I knew in the crowd at the time. It was Makoto’s. I
came closer to him slowly without being noticed. I was sure that he passed the exam, too. I wanted to cel-
ebrate our success together.
I said to him, “Makoto, How about you?” with a great smile.
He said, “I failed the exam,” with a smile as kind as the first one and he made a peace sign.
He was smiling, yet I realized that tears came into his eyes. He left the place as soon as our brief
conversation ended. I’ve never seen him since then. I stood in stunned silence, and blinked my eyes and
my tears ran down my cheeks and on to my certificate. They spread throughout it. My first love was gone.
Ten years later, I still have the memory of how I hurt him that day without any consideration to
his feelings. I must have embarrassed him badly. I think that I should have been thoughtful, but I know
that we can never go back to the past. If It is possible I want him to forget what I did. Maybe I will never
be able to meet him again. If I meet him, I have no words to say to him. Even though the love will not re-
turn, I learned important lessons from the experience. I should be careful talking with people who are
around me so that I will not regret my words again. Even if we grow up in a good relationship, our care-
less acts or words can break someone’s heart easily
Written by: Aika Yamanashi
ESOL Level 7 Writing
The Effects of Stress on College Students
Life is a mixture of struggle and pressure. A lot of people in this life struggle and suffer from
stress to make a living, and to improve their lives. Indeed, the amount of stress increases especially
among college students. They always think about their grades, study fees, how to improve their skills and
how to balance between their study time and spare time. Fortunately, there are positive sides of stress on
students beside the negative effects. Feeling of stress can be the main cause of fatigue, tiredness, lack of
attention, and high level of absence beside that can be the reason of success and achievement.
The most effective causes of pressure are thinking about grades and getting too much homework. One of
the student's goals is getting high scores which make them more tired and disperses their attention.
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The majority of college students become frustrated if they lose a few points or get a low score. According to
Geovana Silva, who is a Pharmacy graduate and ESOL student, the feeling of stress can cause a low level of
concentration. For instance, when the students try to get high scores that put them under a high level of pres-
sure which cause lack of attention as a result. In addition, having a lot of homework makes some learners
anxious and more stressed. For instance, when the students have a lot of homework to do, they can’t get a free
time to rest and relax. All what they will think about how they can arrange the time to finish their homework.
On the other hand, a number of students prefer to be under a specific amount of stress, and this stress
can be beneficial for them. This little amount of stress makes them more organized especially when they are
under pressure. For example, when some learners feel that the time is running out, they try to finish their
work as much as they can. Also, they become more organized and arrange their time better. According to
Reem Mohammed, who is a sophomore, sometimes being under a particular amount of pressure, means more
achievement, more work, and more organization. This is the useful side of stress to come out the best of the
learner. That makes some individuals avoid wasting their time and become more careful about taking ad-
vantage of their time.
Eventually, the feeling of stress can affect both positive and negative sides on the students. Sometimes
a college student being under an amount of stress considers the situation normal. The smart student knows
how to deal with this hard impact of stress and gets advantages of it. Many times, all what they have to do is
convert the bad effect of stress to a source and key of success and achievement. This pressure may be the best
fuel to charge their energies and be more successful.
Written by: Rehab Alqayidi
ESOL Level 7 Writing
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The Poor Hound Trainer
When I was 17 I had a German-shepherd which was a hound dog. He was eight months, and so
muscular. His name was Johnny because he was a black, handsome, male dog with the shiny, light brown
eyes. He was so nice and friendly, but only with me and my family. I trained him to be a serious guardian
for one of bungalow houses in the north of Iran. It was on March 21th that we had a party in that house to
celebrate the New Year. That was a very big party with about fifty guests. One of my cousins brought a
friend who was a dog trainer. His name was Arash. He had very dark, shiny black eyes and a little tuft of
a beard. He wore a black suit and a black and gold tie. After we met and got friendly, he asked me, “Can I
touch your dog?”
I said so politely, “sure, but the only problem is my dog is not a friendly dog, especially with a
person that he just met, and I suggest not to touch him yet.”
He insisted and said, “Trust me and don’t worry. I’m a professional dog trainer. Believe me that I
work with lots of different breeds of dogs.”
It was convincing, but I felt twist in the pit of my stomach.
I accepted and we went to the back yard. Johnny was in his house where I had fastened him. When
he saw me, he started waging his tail and whistling for me, but when he saw Arash behind me he
switched his face and got mad. He started barking and attacking. Arash tried to calm him down. He
kneeled down. I felt so guilty because I forgot to tell not to bend or get in sitting positon. The bending
positon was the punishment position for him, so he got mad. Then Arash tried to touch his head. That was
awkward. Touching an angry dog is madness.
Johnny was so enraged and everything was out of my control. He bit Arash’s hand and Arash
couldn’t rescue himself. The worst fact about a hound dog is if they taste blood, they can’t release it.
Arash’s hand was bleeding and Johnny could taste his blood. That was too late. Johnny hadn’t even lis-
tened to me. What I did was I found a long branch of wood on the ground and pressed it under Johnny’s
belly and pushed him backward. He was so wild. He released Arash’s hand and tried to attacked me. I
jumped back. For a second Johnny recognized me and saw the wood in my hand. He thought that I was
going to punish him, so he whimpered and sat down with an innocent face. Honestly I had never punished
him with a wood before; I didn’t know why he was scared.
Arash was bellowing like a wounded bear. It was a really bad time to scold him. All the guests
rushed to the back yard, and they were shocked by his bloody hand and his exclamation. I had to do
something, so I pressed his wrist and shouted to someone to call a doctor. My cousin brought a towel and
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disinfectant. We washed his wound. His skin and flesh had come off. After a little while an ambulance came
and took him to the hospital.
He had 25 stiches and a tetanus shot. Also, he learned not to trust his ability for every situation with
all kind of dogs. He should be careful and be more occupational with the hound dogs. I didn’t punish Johnny
because it wasn’t his fault. It was my fault to let Arash touched my dog who doesn’t like to be touched. After
that Arash and my cousin came back from the hospital, we started our party again. We celebrated the New
Year and had fun. One year later I heard that Arash changed his job and he started to work with horses. I
think he was so weak just because of one bite, he left everything and gave up. I hope he will be successful and
lucky with the horses.
Written by: Ava Sefidlar
ESOL Level 7 Writing
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My New Life
Sometimes, something happens in our life that changes our whole life. When I reflect back at my
past , the most significant event is coming to America. On the 20 of June I came to Portland Oregon with
my husband and our 2-year-old daughter. In here I had the chance to experience so many things which I
never had before. Moving to America has not only changed my life but also my personality. It gave me
freedom of thought, I started feeling independently and once again started going back to school.
First, when I started my education I was thinking that it would be very hard for me to learn a new
language and pursue a degree in this country. I had a very difficult time adapting to American culture and
specially English. I did not know how to speak English. So the first goal I set myself was to try my best
to learn English. English was a very challenging language and I had a difficult time learning it. My teach-
ers were very helpful and now I am in level 7. My hard days paid off, and I was able to communicate with
others in less than a year. After learning how to speak English, my life became easier. I began to make
friends in school and became more confident in myself.
Second, I had never imagined of driving a car before coming to America, but when I saw women
especially mothers driving their children to school and playground. I could do it too. I started reading the
driving rules. I did a lot of practice with my husband which gave me confidence to pass my exam easily.
The third and the most important thing in my life is living in America with my in laws. My story
was different from others because I used to live with my husband, but when I came to America I had to
live with 9 or 10 different people. Usually when a couple or a family move to a different country, they
have to live by themselves which makes them homesick, but when I came to the US all of my in laws had
already been living here for the last 30 years. It is difficult to live with 9 or 10 people because everyone
has different opinions and habits. I worked hard to adapt to their personalities. I became friend to all my
family members.
Moving from Afghanistan to America was an unforgettable event in my life. The time has passed
quickly but I still remember it. This experience changed me in many ways and taught me many valuable
lessons. My dreams of getting quality education came true. I feel more confident going to school and
driving. It's fun for me to live with a huge family.
Written by: Shahzia Fnu
ESOL Level 7 Writing
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In the Fall 2016 term at PCC Sylvania, PCC students Fara Mendy and
Akylai Sakebaeva hosted an event called “International Student
Leadership and Involvement”. ESOL Writing 7 students who attend-
ed the event had these comments about it:
One thing I really liked about the workshop was the confidence of the presenters. I feel that if I get
involved in PCC, I will be more confident in my lie. And this is another thing that is really helpful for
those who want a job.
Shahzia Fnu PCC is not only for classes. At PCC, you can find a job or volunteer.
Hanan Gubara
Being part of a PCC club will help you improve your language skills and make new friends.
Munerah Sultan
Having a job or volunteer experience at PCC will help students to have more chances and connections
in the USA.
FangFang Xiang
I learned that you have to ask a lot of questions during the job interview; otherwise, it will seem like
you are not really interested in the job.
Yena Lee Halsel
I can find many resources on campus if I
go to the Women’s Resource Center,
ASPCC and Multicultural Center.
Nalis Neang
If you don’t speak English fluently, you
will still find a job at PCC.
Wafiqa Alguwinem
If you want to get a job at PCC and get
help with resume and cover letter writing,
you should go to the job and internship
center.
Ghazaleh Keshmirian
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Level 8 ESOL Writing Students
College Advertising Methods
June is the season of the year when high school students graduate from school, planning their summer
holiday and making their important decision towards college degree. This is also the time of the year when
colleges prepare their marketing campaigns to reach out to as many students as possible. There are many vari-
eties of marketing methods in the advertising industry, depending on the target audience the most effective
method for colleges are word-of-mouth, education roadshows and through media.
The first method is word-of-mouth, according to a survey from “Attention paid to adverting by college
students” by marketingcharts.com said that college students pay a lot more attention to recommendations
from family and friends compared to advertising campaign from college. This type of method involves large
amount of positive feedback on social media, good reputation of academic quality, and high ranking among
colleges. For example Princeton University was rated as the best ranking college for year 2017 by us-
news.com. Word-of-mouth method requires zero cost but massive amount of work to keep the college on pos-
itive ranking, student’s graduation rates, retention rates and student’s future job opportunists. Therefore,
keeping a good educator profile is the key to be successful in word-of-mouth method.
The second method is education roadshows; this method requires either a campaign management
agency or a marketing team to manage the shows. Education roadshows involve certain amount of cost to hire
management team and print media, such as design and printing cost for brochure, student handbook, posters,
flyers, banners and etc. This method usually breaks down to two ways. The first way is marketing team par-
ticipate their roadshow at education expo, conferences or fairs. The benefit of this is students are able to com-
pare their education options and have a better understanding toward the colleges. On the other hand, colleges
who participate also have the opportunity to promote their college to their target audience. The second way is
conduct an “Open Day” on campus, the main purpose of this way is potential students will have a chance to
have a look and feel at the campus environment, in fact students has a chance to talk to academy adviser. This
will require more marketing team members on site compare to the preview way but college will have the
chance to work one-to-one with their potential students and gather their contact details for further action.
Finally, the last method — media advertising, media includes television advertisements, radios, bill-
boards, newspapers and websites. This method requires a larger budget for publications, however it will cre-
ate a larger audience, increase the college awareness, it can also significantly reach out to more people than
any of the methods above. The only disadvantage with this method is it only offers one-way communication
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therefore colleges have to wait for their potential student to contact them. According to the survey from
marketingcharts.com the attention paid to media are lower than word-of-mouth, however this method
helps to lift up the college awareness which will increase their reputation.
In a nutshell, there are three major methods for collages to promote their education service such as
word-of-mouth, roadshows and media. Colleges are offering many types of degrees to suit every student’s
need. It can be overwhelming for students and it is a difficult time for them to make the right decision. I
personally think that word-of-mouth will be the most convincing method and effective way to recruit
students.
Written by: Xuan Cen Cheng
ESOL Level 8 Writing
USA Major Political Parties
“Societies aren’t made of sticks and stones, but of men whose individual characters, by turning the
scale one way or another, determine the direction of the whole” (Plato; Republic). The politics we have
nowadays comes from the ancient Greek and Rome and how politicians act these days is because of the
influence of the different ideologies that have been developing along the years since the moment the soci-
ety realized that it needed someone to make decisions and organize the “polis”. Thus, the first politicians
appeared (that group of people that represent the nation, tries to satisfy the inhabitants’ needs and makes
decisions to procure the best for the society). Regarding the American political frame, there are a lot of
parties, but three of them (Democratic Party, Republican Party and Green Party) are the ones known as
“major parties” because they are the most voted ones in the American elections. The USA used to have a
two-party democratic government but nowadays new parties are growing among the political scenery.
The first of the three major parties is the Democratic, Liberal or Progressive Party. The people that
identify themselves with it are called Democrats and they look for change and the equality among the so-
ciety: “One for all and all for one”. In addition, it is based on ethics that involve the social progress and/or
the evolution of a multicultural society with an inclusive attitude towards other cultures, ethics and reli-
gions creating an involving atmosphere. Furthermore, that party wants to interfere and take care of the
society and the social lives; basing education on co-operating with others (openness + empathy) and a fa-
miliar relationship built on respect and trust. As a consequence, Democrats tend to have vocations
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involving co-operation such as professors and teachers, media, architects, scientists, etc. Moreover, their be-
liefs are perfectly designed in harmony with the society: they follow a scientific, non-organized and uncon-
ventional religion; they have in mind the civil rights and protect the minorities because they are considered
“victims of the system”. Among their supports there are gay rights, abortion rights and unmarried sex, and the
voters vote for helping others, fairness, diplomacy and pacifism, taking the doves as a symbol for it. This par-
ty bets on regulating the economy through tax (taxes for middle and low income families, and higher taxes for
wealthy individuals) and spend, promoting a Social Security System that is available for everyone. The most
famous leaders are, for example, Franklin D. Roosevelt, J. F. Kennedy, Barack Obama and the candidate for
the elections that are coming, Hillary Clinton. The symbol that they have adopted to represent the characteris-
tics and the goals of the left party is the donkey and the color blue.
The Republican, Conservative, Traditional or Right Party is the second major party. The followers of
that point of view are the Republicans. They are against the evolution of the society and they want to maintain
the system that has been always in the United
States. They refuse the equality of the society
because for them the most important is the individu-
al and with that the indi- vidual success: “Survival
of the fittest” is an attempt to reach freedom without
interfering in society. Ad- ditionally, the community
they want is based on morals, instead of ethics,
being exclusive, estab- lished and nationalistic
(“Protect the good things about the world”). That
means that they only want the American standard or model of society, refusing other groups of people that are
not native Americans and they have a hate attitude towards them (immigration control). The education system
is based on a competition to be the best and on a familiar relationship built on respect, fear and hard punish-
ment that triggers vocations like police, military, business, judge, etc. Regarding their beliefs, religion is a
very important pillar to keep this traditional society (theistic, organized and conventional) without rights and
without protecting the minorities (they are that way because they chose it). What’s more, they support war,
tax cuts (same taxes for all the social classes) and God; being the voters convinced that if they vote for the
Republican Party they are voting for aggression, upholding order, strong role models and militancy, adopting
the hawks as a symbol. The economy they promote is a de-regulated economy without tax and with a very
limited private health insurance system. The most well-known leaders are Abraham Lincoln, George W. Bush
and the current candidate, Donald Trump. They identify themselves with the red color and an elephant.
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The last major party is the Green Party. As its name shows, it fights for the environment’s preserva-
tion, always with a look at the future. This party takes into account ten key values. For example, democra-
cy, which consists of the values that everyone is free to express their opinions because sovereignty resides
in the people that live in this nation; social justice and equal opportunity, being all the same and all hav-
ing the right to have the same chances without taking in account our culture, religion, race, age, sex, etc.
Furthermore, they believe in the need to keep an ecological balance and use the world’s resources with
control to guarantee a sustainable society in the future. They bet for a non-violence and non-militancy so-
ciety; a decentralized government system to let everyone participate in it and a community based on an
environmentally-friendly economy. For this party, feminism and gender equity and respect for diversity
are very important as well. The color that characterizes it is the green color and the most famous leader is
Jill Stein, the Green Party nominee for these 2016 elections.
In conclusion, the United States has three major parties, each one with its own characteristics.
While Democrats and Green Party’s followers do not share anything with Republicans, we can see that
the Green Party and the Democratic Party agree on some points. For example, both believe in social equi-
ty, respect for diversity and “no” to violence or militancy. However, the Green Party considers the envi-
ronment a question of matter, a point that neither Democrats nor Republicans think about. So, we can say
that analyzing the American political scenery we find two groups: the one that cares about people and the
co-operating fact (Democrats and Green Party’s followers) and the one that sees that all is competition
and only the best survives (~individual success). By the way, there is still the two-party system in USA, a
system that other parties try to change and break, because both parties confirm this system does not satis-
fy all the society’s needs. Voting for other parties different from the Democrats and the Republicans
could be a good way to get the changes that the other two do not provide. Maybe with these new parties,
the United States see a light when voting, breaking the two-party democratic system that has been the
darkness for America since a long time ago.
Written by: Marina Suárez Rebassa
ESOL Level 8 Writing
Page 35
ESL Class and Dentistry Class Meeting
On Nov 16, 2016, our Instructor Mr. Byron Wright told us that we were going to meet the Dentistry
Class for our communication class. My classmates and I were excited to share our experiences about
how dental care works in our different countries. As we arrived to the dentistry class, they welcomed us
warmly, and we didn't get nervous while we were sitting in the front row facing them. It was interesting
to hear how dental services vary from country to another.
Here is some of the information that we shared:
Rakan from Saudi Arabia said that the majority of people go to modern dentists, some of people in
his country are still using old world techniques to clean their teeth. They use a stick called Meswak
which has a high concentration of cavity fighting fluoride.
Zarpana from Afghanistan said that dentists typically don't use anesthesia for tooth extraction in her
country.
Akachai from Thailand said that teenagers wear fake braces as fashion accessories and are a sign of
prestige in Thailand.
These were some of the things we shared during this session. It was wonderful experience to identify
the other side of dental care from different countries and cultures. It was definitely different from what
we have become accustomed to. The opinions are varied but we all agree on one point which is dental
care is a top priority for everyone. Thank you for giving me that opportunity to be part of this experi-
ence.
Written by: Aml Salem
ESOL Level 7 Communication
